Bourbon Paper Plane & Aperitivo Olive Oil Cake
Ooooooh buddy do I have some tasty recipes for you this week!
First, bourbon. I think that’s enough said because bourbon is delicious.
Second, Aperitivo Cake made with olive oil, orange zest, and Bruto Americano. Trust me, it’s incredible.
Pair these two babies together and you’ve got yourself a winning Friday night cocktail hour.
These Friday hangouts couldn’t be any more fun but then they morphed into themed cocktail hours. Each complete with their own agenda, attire suggestions, and on-themed meal.
Think of it this way, every Friday is Halloween with cocktails. How fun is that?!
Since this week we had Paper Plane cocktails, Flight was the theme!
The menu practically made itself:
- Paper Plane Cocktails (with bourbon and Aperol)
- Flights of mini sliders
- Flights of chocolate tasting
- Aperitivo Cake made with (an Aperol alternative) Bruto Americano!
- Attire of a flight attendant and a passenger (gotta dress up and have fun when you can!)
First, let’s talk about this drink!
It’s probably my new favorite cocktail right now with it’s sweet bourbon, bitter-sweet and herby amaro and Aperol, then completely balanced with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Shaken with ice and poured into a fancy glass, this drink was absolutely delicious and fun to drink. I love, love, love whiskey but this drink has so much balanced flavor that you can’t even taste the bourbon. Rather, you can taste so many magical things going on instead, that those not so apt to whiskey will absolutely enjoy this gateway drink.
Bonus points with this drink because all of the ingredients can be made easily into various other drinks OR drank alone, on ice. Amaro and ice? Yum! Bourbon and ice? Extra yum! Aperol and soda water? Yep! Lemon and ice? Well, sure. But you get the idea.
And this cake – ooooh this cake! Moist and luscious, rich and bitter-sweet, slightly orangey and perfectly sweetened. Definitely a must-make any time of year.
It’s easy to make and delicious to eat. I’m thinking even with a cup of coffee for breakfast. 😉
Recipe adapted from this Orange Aperitivo Cake.
Ready for the recipes?
Yeah, I know… no one really reads the writing between the photos and before the recipes anyway.
Recipes it is!
Cheers!
Paper Plane Cocktail
Ingredients
- ¾ oz bourbon
- ¾ oz Amaro Nonino
- ¾ oz Aperol or other apertivio
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
Instructions
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Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice.
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Shake and strain into cocktail glasses.
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Garnish with a tiny paper plane.
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Sip, enjoy, repeat.
Aperitivo Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp sugar reserved for topping
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ¼ cup oat milk or milk of choice, at room temp
- 3 large eggs at room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tbsp orange zest zest from about 2 oranges
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice juice from about 1 large orange
- ¼ cup aperitivo such as Aperol, Campari, or Bruto Americano (I used Bruto Americano)
- 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar for garnish
- 1 can oat whipped topping or whipped cream of choice*
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan or spring form pan that is at least 2 inches deep (it will spill over if it is smaller) with cooking spray. (Use 2 pans if your cake pan is less than 2 inches deep.)
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In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Whisk to combine.
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In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, orange juice, orange zest, and aperitivo of choice.
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Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar. If using 2 pans, divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Check for doneness after 30 minutes of baking. Baking time will be shorter.
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Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
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Run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with fresh whipped cream.
Notes
